George Harper stands at the head podium in the Elks Lodge 259 in Ashwaubenon. Harper is Exalted Ruler of the lodge and has held the position for the past year.

Written by

Eric Christenson
Press-Gazette Media

Names for Elks Lodges across the country can get kind of extravagant - especially for an organization who's main goal is modest, community-level activity and assistance.

The organization is called the BPOE, or Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, each lodge's leader is called Exalted Ruler (with officers called Esteemed Leading, Loyal and Lecturing Knights), the Grand Lodge in Chicago has large columns and unique architecture, lots of famous generals were Elks and six U.S. Presidents were Elks (if you're curious - Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Warren Harding, John Kennedy, FDR ...